


Stumbling throught the snow

by LucidaCentury (Sephora909)



Series: HiatusSundayFloof [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dark Castle Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-09 01:05:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3230414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephora909/pseuds/LucidaCentury
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle is too excited by the snow for Rumplestiltskin’s taste.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [Like on Reblog on Tumblr](http://lucidacentury.tumblr.com/tagged/Stumbling-through-the-Snow/chrono/)

“Rumplestiltskin!”

For the first time since 300 years, Rumplestiltskin woke up to the sound of someone screaming his name in his house. Belle. He immediately jumped out of his bed, dressed himself with a magic wave of his hand, and ran to his maid as fast as his short legs could carry him. He prayed she had only done something clumsy and harmless like she often did. But what if they were under attack this time? What if she hurt herself? Her scream was so loud he feared the worst. His heart pounded as wildly as his head.

“Belle?” he yelled to find her.

“I’m here! Come! Quick!” she answered urgently from her bedroom, located conveniently close to his.

It had to be something dangerous. Without a second thought, he burst into her room and found her… happily bouncing up and down in front of her window. She turned to him and pointed at the snow falling outside.

“Look! It’s snowing and everything is white!”

“What?”

He had been worried sick about her and she was only excited by the snow? She must have noticed his distorted face, since her bright grin faltered a bit. As much as he loved to see her smile, he had to admit he was close to turning her into a snail. Thought he usually had a way with words, Rumplestiltskin opened and closed his mouth several time without uttering a single syllable.

He wanted to tell her off about giving him such a fright, but that would mean openly admitting he cared about her and that couldn’t happen. So he just stood there in the middle of her room with his mouth half open and his fierce frown, torn between his steaming anger and his awfully complicated feelings. At least, he wasn’t out of breath from running here.

“Are you okay? I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

Belle sounded a bit guilty and blushed as she realized how early it was. Rumplestiltskin’s own realization at this moment was of another nature. His eyes traveled down her body, and only then he noticed she was still wearing her nightgown. It was a white woolen one with long sleeves and a skirt that covered her legs. It didn’t look that improper, but there was something very personal about seeing someone in their nightie. A blush started to dangerously creep up his face, melting away all his previous anger. Fortunately, he just had to clear his voice to make it work again.

“You didn’t.”

Not as eloquent as usual, but at least he hadn’t made a complete fool of himself. So far. The silence stretched out between them while Belle frowned slightly at him, no doubt trying to understand what was wrong with him. Hopefully, she didn’t dwell too long on this and saved him from his temporary paralysis.

“Good,” she simply said.

She flashed him a shy smile, looked down, took a deep breath, and finally dared to ask him what she wanted more than anything today.

“I wondered if, perhaps, I could get out this morning. I wouldn’t leave the castle grounds, of course. And I would work twice as hard this afternoon.”

“I’ll tell you what,” he started with a new-found self-confidence, “you can have the whole day.”

As long as you stay away from me while I recover from this emotional ordeal, he mentally added.

The list of things Rumplestiltskin had to forget grew longer with each second that ticked away. Forgetting how her nightie gently brushed her curves would at least take several days of spinning. Belle didn’t seem to notice his unease, she just heard a generous offer she was very grateful for. Without a second thought, she ran to him to give him a long tight hug.

“Thank you, Rumplestiltskin.”

Okay, now he would clearly need a whole week to erase the memory of her delicious scent and the warmth of her body flushed against him. Although, as she let him go, her delighted grin made him doubt he wanted to forget this moment.

“You should come with me! It would be fun. Building snowmen, having snowball fights… We could even go sledding! I’ve always wanted to! We’ve never had enough snow to do that in my kingdom.”

Her pleading tone and her shining eyes begging him to agree were the most tempting thing he had ever seen in his very long years of existence. But for once, he was glad his cowardice kicked in to remind him he would never survive playing with his lovely maid in the snow.

“Next time,” he muttered.

It wasn’t exactly how he wanted to refuse her appealing invitation, but his treacherous mouth didn’t have the guts to flat out turn her down. Even if it did, Belle would have probably just insisted until he agreed.

“Promise?”

“Yes, now go.”

Seeing her smile that much was making him feel funny. He would have said anything just to have a day by himself to collect his thoughts in peace, far this breathing hurricane.

“It’s you who should go. I still have to get dressed and I’m not grateful enough to let you watch.”

Stunned by his own stupidity, Rumplestiltskin stayed paralyzed for a couple of long seconds in which his blush burned his face. Her naughty tone and playful grin coupled with the mischief dancing in her beautiful eyes taunted him in a way he wished he would never succumb to. As soon as he heard her chuckle about his embarrassment, he poofed back to the safety of his bedroom and locked the door. Sometimes, his cowardly reflexes came in handy. One day would definitely not be enough to make him and Belle forget about this encounter. Brewing potions suddenly sounded like a very attractive activity.


	2. Chapter 2

“Rumplestiltskin! Rumplestiltskin!”

The clear voice of his maid screaming his name through the corridors of the castle woke him up with a start. Arg, not again! This time, he stayed in his comfy bed and hid himself under the covers in hope of falling asleep again. It would have worked if not for the clatter of steps, dainty naked feet on the parquet floor, coming dangerously closer to his door. How such a small thing could make so much noise when running was beyond him.

“Rumplestiltskin!” he heard again.

His only answer was a loud groan. He grabbed his pillow and put it on his head. He hoped she would give up and return to her chores, but he should know better. The door of his bedroom creaked open. He froze. How did she even know his bedroom was here? Admittedly, he had never forbidden her from coming in, but the distance he strove to keep between them implied he wanted her to respect his personal space. Now he was pathetically paralyzed in his own bed, not even daring to breathe, and praying she wouldn’t notice his arm keeping his pillow on his head. If he stopped moving, perhaps she would just go away.

“There you are!” she said with her terrifying sing-song voice.

Damn. He might be a pitiful prey to her, but he was still her master, as contradictory as it seemed.

“Go away,” he grumbled with a cold tone that would have made anyone else run for the hills.

But Belle wasn’t anyone else. In fact, she was the strangest thing Rumplestiltskin had ever come across, magical items included. The fearless little caretaker actually giggled and crawled on all four on his bed. The powerful Dark One was stiff as a board when his predator of a maid shook his shoulder with both hands.

“Rumplestiltskin, it’s been snowing again!”

Curse that damn snow! Why was she always so excited by frozen water? More importantly, what the HELL was she doing on his bed, touching him while he wasn’t even dressed properly? A princess like her should be ashamed to get in a man’s bed she wasn’t married to, and even more while he was still laying inside it! Or did she not consider him enough of a man for that? Anyway, he thanked his lucky star that he was wearing his nightgown. Had he been naked, he would probably have shrieked like a maiden trying to protect her modesty and died of shame.

“Get up! I hope you haven’t forgotten your promise?” she asked teasingly. “You said we would go sledging together.”

Just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, it did. She tore his pillow out of hands, then tried to make him lay on his back so he would look at her. Since it didn’t work, she sighed and gave up.

“Come on, Rumplestiltskin. I thought you never broke deals.”

Her defeated tone would have been good news if, instead of leaving, she hadn’t just collapsed on top of him. If possible, Rumplestiltskin went even more still under her, and a particular part of his anatomy became stiff as well. Her body warmth seeping through their clothes and his covers was maddening alone, but the feel of her generous breasts against his back was far more than he could handle.

He abruptly got up, shoving Belle who ended up laying on her back, still on his bed, but tangled in his covers. His magic dressed him in record time. He ran out of the room while avoiding looking at the most beautiful woman of the world currently spread out on his bed.

“Rumples…”

“Not now!” he barked at her.

If he stayed, he might take his… whatever it was out on her. He ran across the castle to his tower, locked its door behind him, and took the stairs two by two. Out of breath and sweating, he didn’t even reach his workroom. He leaned against the wall and let his shaking limbs collapse under him. The cold stone did wonders to his flushed face. It had been a long time since he felt so emotionally overwhelmed. So much that he wondered if it ever happened. Shame, anger, loneliness, and fear… The terrible cocktail of emotions summing up his whole life had been thrown in his face.

He couldn’t lie to himself enough to say he felt nothing for Belle. He used to think she was nothing more than a pleasant distraction, a nice little flame shining through his dark life. An increasingly big part of him wanted to welcome her with open arms. Yet he could just not let her in his shallow heart. Her presence brought him so much joy it frightened him. There was no way this could end well. He was the Dark One, the nightmare of every living soul in this land. Not a teddy bear, not a friend, and certainly nothing more. Never anything more than a bad dream you forget in the morning.

A couple of hours later, he had spun enough straw to breath normally again and stop sweating. Perhaps he really would brew that potion to forget everything that happened… A knock on the door at the bottom of the tower interrupted his bleak prospects.

“Rumplestiltskin,” a timid voice called him.

It would be best to ignore her, as well as the little voice in his head telling him seeing her smile would make him feel better.

“I brought you tea,” Belle tried again.

A peace offering. He couldn’t really say no to that, could he? A little bit of magic opened the door of the tower to let in the walking dilemma of his life. Compared with this morning, Belle’s footsteps were very discreet and unlike her. His emotional crisis might have something to do with that. With his back to her, he was itching to look over his shoulder. Was she really upset? She must have at least have had some fun in the snow before coming here since she was practically addicted to it. The room was completely silent, except for the rattling porcelain and the poured tea.

“Here,” she simply said as she handed him the chipped cup he now favored over all the others.

Seeing this little cup reminded him of the first day Belle spent in this castle with him. An irrepressible smile appeared on his lips. They had both been so confused that night. This one little deal had completely changed both their lives. To the best or to the worst? He had an inkling.

“Thank you, Belle. How was the snow this morning?”

Still very much a coward, he didn’t dare to look at her directly. But out of the corner of his eye, he could clearly see her open mouth and wide eyes staring at him. After a pause, she bit her lips and looked down.

“I don’t know. I didn’t go out.”

When he heard that, Rumplestiltskin finally looked at Belle. Her chestnut curls were hiding the sides of her face, but if her mercilessly bitten lips were any indication, something was clearly bothering her. And if it had kept her away from the snow, it had to be something really important. Somehow, he couldn't believe it was all because of what happened this morning.

“Why not?”

In a flash, Belle looked up at him, then down again. She sighed, either choosing her words or deciding whether to answer him or not. Even if she lied to him, he wouldn't notice it since he couldn’t predict her actions to save his life.

“I didn't think doing sledging alone would be very fun.”

Her cryptic expression was a challenge for Rumplestiltskin. He had never been good with women. He could not decipher the meaning behind her tight-lipped smile and intense gaze. But when her smile widened into a familiar grin and a silent chuckle shook her body, he was relieved to know he hadn't lost his cheerful maid.

“Shall I deal for another caretaker to keep you company?”

“Two of me wouldn't be near enough to clean the castle, but I'm okay with my current companion.”

Companion? What did she mean by that? As if she heard his thoughts, she clarified her statement.

“I mean, I like it when it's just you and me. Reading here is a lot better than in a castle swarming with people and an illiterate betrothed.”

Ah. If it was just for reading...

“And if you had another maid, you'd prefer her to me since she would work harder, and I really wouldn't want that.”

That last part of her sentence practically came out as one really long word. For once, he wasn't the one to be embarrassed by their increasingly flirtatious banter. It didn't mean that he wasn't embarrassed at her confession that she didn't want a rival. But seeing Belle blushing and fidgeting with the tea set while avoiding his gaze was a rare and adorable sight. If just this once, he could indulge her.

“Since I am to remain the only other occupant of this decidedly dusty castle, you leave me no choice but to go with you. But be careful, dearie, if you start a snowball fight, you might end up buried in the snow.”

Belle tried to hide her smile, but she radiated so much joy it was a complete disaster. How he loved it when she did that.

“I see. There might not have been much snow where I'm from, but I always kicked the guard's asses at snowball fights.”

“A pathetic guard is nothing compared to the Dark One, dearie.”

“Then the fight will be interesting. I'll meet you in the entrance hall after I put on warmer clothes,” she challenged him.

“Feel free to borrow a suit of armor. You might need it.”

“Speak for yourself.”

The comeback was simple, but the look she sent him was particularly devilish. Suddenly, he felt naked under her maid's scrutiny. Her eyes slowly went up and down his whole body, mercilessly peering at him. Never had he received a more captivating declaration of war. For the first time since he became the Dark One, he wasn't sure he would win.


	3. Chapter 3

The only thing Rumplestiltskin knew about women was they liked to take their time to make themselves pretty before going out. But Belle was making him doubt even that. He barely had enough time to finish spinning what little was left in his basket of straw when she called him from the bottom of his tower.

“Rumplestiltskin! Are you ready yet?”

Had she been waiting for him? That wasn’t possible. Her room was at the other side of the castle. And then there was the matter of her winter clothes. If putting on her woollen stockings was anything close to putting on his leather pants without magic, then she would have needed at least twenty minutes more. Not that is mattered, anyway.

The Dark One took a deep breath to prepare himself to face his maid. He was being ridiculous, he knew that perfectly well. The more he thought about it, the stronger his fears became. No, he couldn't let his cowardice get the better of him again. Belle was already stuck in an empty castle with a monster, she didn't deserve to be left all alone, even if the said monster was the only one to offer her some companionship.

After another deep breath, he conjured a warm coat along with a thick golden scarf, and made himself appear right behind Belle. She was wearing every piece of winter clothing he had given her the first time she went out of the castle in the freezing weather: a white fur-lined coat with a hood, matching gloves, thick tights and knee high boots. Offering her white clothes hadn’t been his brightest idea. He might just lose her in the snow. Still, he tried not to show his worry.

“Ready to get buried in the snow, dearie?”

She gave out a satisfactory shriek, making him grin devilishly. How could he resist spooking her when she glared at him and sighed so sweetly?

“You know you're going to pay for this, right?”

He answered her bold challenge with his signature high-pitched giggle. That one didn't seem to scare her anymore, but it still had some effect if her suspicious gaze was any indication.

“We'll see about that, princess.”

Ever the gentleman, he motioned for her to walk ahead, which she did after looking up and down at him in silent provocation. If she wanted war, she would have it. They walked in the silence required by the mental preparation for their snow fight.

In the entrance hall, Rumplestiltskin spotted the sled he had given to Bae on the last winter they spent together. His throat went dry. Hopefully, Belle wasn't looking at him, or she would have kept asking him — in the most gentle tone but still insistent — what was wrong. He swallowed his grief and shook his head until he got rid of these dark thoughts.

“The rules are simple: the fight goes on until one of us gives up, and the winner gets to ride at the front of the sled. And of course, magic is forbidden. Questions?”

This was an occasion Rumplestiltskin couldn't ignore. Who knew when he'd get another one?

“How about we up the stakes?”

Belle frowned, but her grin made it clear she was more interested in his offer than against it.

“If I win, you will stop waking me up because of the damn snow.”

She chuckled guiltily. Of course, she couldn't deny him that.

“Alright. But if I win, you'll have to give me...”

Panicked seized him. He hadn't thought about that. For a deal-maker, it was a highly unprofessional mistake. It was all because of Belle! The damn woman turned his brain into pudding! What would he do if she asked him for a hug, or worse, a kiss?

“Your shirt,” she decided with a very smug smile.

What? He must have heard her wrong. Great, now she snorted at him, just what he needed.

“I promise I won't tear it off your back,” she reassured him.

“Why don't you take my breeches too while you're at it?”

Wrong tactic again. With Belle, attack was decidedly not the best defense.

“If I can, I will.”

The little devil had the nerves to wink at him and make him blush. If his face touched the snow, he was quite sure it would melt. Whatever. She would get her little war, since she wanted it so badly. Belle suddenly took a very serious expression. The war was definitely on. All the better, Rumplestiltskin liked a struggling prey.

They went out of the castle and walked in silence. It was bright for a winter day, the snow squeaked nicely under their boots, and the wind was cold enough to bring some color to his cheeks. Once they were in the middle of his gardens, Belle turned toward him.

“Alright. The fight begins... now!”

As soon as she said that, she ran like mad past Rumplestiltskin. He had no idea where she was going, but she certainly wouldn't reach her destination dry. He dropped to the ground, gathered as much snow as fast as he could, packed it and threw it at his maid's head. The snowball hit her square in the neck, making her shriek. The Dark Sorcerer immediately forgot why he hadn't given in sooner to her whim about that snow fight. Two more snowballs followed suit in her hair until she went beyond his reach.

Running was harder than he thought it'd be in his slipping boots and his tight leather breeches which clung to his thighs. The cold freezing his legs did nothing to help. He should have made himself a pair of woolen pants. Now wasn't the time for fashion matters, his prey was getting away. How far she would run, he had no idea. It seemed to him like she was going to the moat, but why? It was nothing more than a shallow ditch.

In a second, Belle just vanished before him. Rumplestiltskin paused to think this through. He had kept his eyes on her the whole time, she couldn't have gone far.

“Belle! Come out, dearie! You can't hide from the Dark One!”

Except if you were very small and wearing a white coat. As soon as they were back to the castle, he would dye it in blue. She loved blue, she wouldn't hit him too hard.

Like a hunter, he followed Belle's footprints which brought him closer to the moat. She was definitely hiding there. Thinking himself clever, he stopped to make a snowball, but received a hard fresh one on the forehead. He stood up at once, scanning the moat before him.

“I know you're here, Belle!”

The only answer he got was another snowball thrown at him. He managed to move back just in time to get his face out of the way, but it still stained his coat. Not thirty feet away, he saw the head of his beautiful Belle jutting out of the ground. She grinned wickedly at him before she disappeared again. The little minx had dug herself a trench in the moat! And to think hadn't cheated yet with his magic! The couple of seconds he stayed there gaping at her cheating owed him one more snow ball in the shoulder.

Rumplestiltskin wasn't about to let himself be pushed around by a cute tiny maid. He set to run and jump in her trench to bury her in the snow just like he warned her. Only he forgot his boots slipped on the snow and fell face first on the white ground. Without remorse, Belle emerged from her trench with her left arm full of snowballs she threw with her right hand. The dark sorcerer tried to get up, but fell again when he got snow in his eyes.

“Stop it!” he shouted at her.

He hoped she would obey him before thinking, but that girl knew how to wage a war. Growing up in a council room with a king as a father probably did that.

“Do you surrender?” she asked while she kept throwing ammunition she seemed to never run out of.

Defeated by a tiny maid? The Dark One? Never! He growled loudly and prepared to jump on Belle to pin her to the ground. However, she did just that right before he even got up. She confused him by rubbing a gigantic snowball in his face. While he spat the frozen water he almost swallowed, she pushed him to the ground and sat astride him. Though he fell on his back, Rumplestiltskin had too much snow in his eyes to see the warrior princess. He tried to remove it, but it was useless since she just gathered the snow around his head to bury him with it. How ironic.

“Ready to give up?” she asked again with the determination of a warlord.

Belle was light enough for him to shove without effort, but even if he did, he was completely blind and, to be truthful, his eyes started to sting.

“Alright! I give up! Just leave my eyes alone!”

“Oh my god! Are you alright?”

In a haste, she took off her gloves to take a handkerchief out of her pocket, and she dried his wounded eyes with great care. When he could open his eyes again, everything was blurred. After a few blinks, the worried face of his maid got clearer. He wouldn't mind getting blinded again if he got to see her sheepish smile and confused gaze when he recovers his eyesight.

“I'm sorry, I was so obsessed with winning I didn't notice I was fighting dirty.”

“You did worse before that, dearie. You cheated.”

Shocked by his accusation, Belle slapped him with her wet glove. It stunned him, but not enough to distract him from their argument.

“I did not!”

“Then how do you explain this trench in the moat?”

She puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest.

“It's not cheating. It's called reconnoitering.”

Sitting on his waist like it was a throne and looking down on her victim, Belle looked every bit the princess she was. She obviously put a lot of effort in this little war, and she looked so proud that he didn't feel like arguing. Rumplestiltskin just sighed and rolled his eyes. For good measure, he put his hands above his head in surrender.

“Alright, princess. You win.”

Her wicked smile was a sight worth seeing, even at his pride's expense. Despite himself, his fake scowl turned into a fond smile. For one second, Belle stared at him in wonder, but she quickly smiled back and shyly bit her lips. She was right to be surprised. Rumplestiltskin himself couldn’t believe how calm he was with the beautiful brunette on his waist. Maybe it was because of the thick layers of clothes separating them, or the snow freezing his limbs. It could also just be that Belle got some ice in his brain, or mistakenly hid a rock in one of the snowballs she threw at him.

“Do you still want to go sledding?” she asked after long minutes of comfortable silence.

Rumplestiltskin opened his mouth to say to say he liked their current entanglement. But that was tempting the devil, and he wasn’t quite ready for a repeat of that morning.

“Do you know how to ride a sled?” he asked instead.

“I thought you just had to sit on it,” she admitted with a blush.

The Dark One sighed dramatically.

“Is that your plan to get your freedom back? Killing me in a tragic sled accident?”

It was Belle’s turn to sigh, except she added another slap with her glove. He really hoped she wouldn’t make a habit of that.

“Stop making fun of me! If you know so much about sleds, then teach me.”

“Since you ask so nicely.”

Belle tried to glare at him, but her amused grin ruined it. She released him and went to fetch the sled. Rumplestiltskin’s longing gaze followed her all the way to the castle. Oh, the things she did to him... She was unique, and he was glad of it.

The rest of the morning was spent in the snow with more falls than descents. In case he hadn’t notice it, he got to assess the extent of her clumsiness. Before they were completely frozen, Rumplestiltskin transported them at the top of the mountain. Belle clung to him and looked at him with wide eyes. Of course, he didn’t let her steer the sledge. He wasn’t eager to die. Pressed against his back and holding on to his waist for dear life, Belle, as fearless as ever, screamed in excitement as they hurtled down the mountain, and even urged him to make the sled go faster. The dark sorcerer couldn’t think of a more pleasant way to spend time.

They went back inside the castle only because they were hungry. After lunch, though, both of them were too tired to do anything. Rumplestiltskin let Belle go take a nap to her room. He couldn’t even imagine where she found the strength to walk when the Dark One’s legs were stiff.

She had left minutes ago when Rumplestiltskin remembered he still hadn’t completed his deal with Belle. He did promise her a shirt and a pair of breeches from his closet. As strange as it sounded, a deal was a deal. His magic transported his clothes — a gold shirt and a pair of leather pants that didn’t fit him anymore — from his room to hers. That way, he wouldn’t have to see her tantalizing smile and eyes full of... whatever she felt for him.

It didn’t take long for his curiosity to gnaw at him. What could she possibly want to do with his clothes? Personally, he asked for other people’s clothing only to cast spells. Had she found, or, more likely, stole one of his spell books? His legs started to walk to her room before he realized they were guiding him to her.

The door of Belle’s bedroom was ajar. His magic made sure it wouldn’t creak when he opened it further. The beauty was lying under her covers, face turned to him, eyes closed — fortunately. He gaped at what she was holding in her arms. His shirt. His sanity thanks her for not taking his breeches with her to bed. Still, it was strange to see her hugging his shirt so close to her face while she slept, as if it was a teddy bear.

He decided not to dwell on it. Belle was a weird woman, and he would never understand her. He just had to accept it.

Rumplestiltskin looked at her fondly one last time before closing her door behind him. He really had no idea what he bargained for when he took her from her father. Had he known, he wasn’t sure he would have taken her. His fear would have probably gotten the best of him. Now that he was stuck with her, he didn’t regret one bit plucking her from her family and friends. She made his old heart beat as if he was twenty again. Of course it was one of the most frightening experience of his life. But the joy she brought him was worth it, he decided with a guilty smile.


End file.
